This weekend's featured author is Claire Riley

Welcome Clairethank you
for visiting the blog today

Tell us a little about yourself

Well, there’s not much to tell really. I live in the UK with my
husband and three gorgeous little girls. I’ve always loved reading and writing,
since being a very little girl. Do you remember the series they used to do
called- Point Horror? It was a teenage series of horror books. Well when I was
about 14-15 I made my own series called- Edge Fear, ha ha. The first in the
series was a book called Lips, about a serial killer who murdered women and cut
off their lips. He used to pin them to those little butterfly specimen boards…
yeah that’s kind of gross when I think about it now actually, but, anyway, my
point is, I’ve always had a crazy imagination!

When I found out I was pregnant with our last little girl Lilah
I discovered at the same time that I had swine flu. I thought I was going to
die, or I would lose the baby or something. I was so scared. Obviously
everything was fine in the end, but it got me thinking. A few months later I
realized that I needed to start up with my writing again, and do something with
my life to make my girls proud of me (even if they can’t read the books I write
yet!)

I read just about anything… therefore I write
just about anything! Romance, erotica,
thriller, horror, paranormal, fantasy. You name it and I can write it. A
great writer friend of mine once told me that to be the best writer you must
read, read and read some more. The more you read, in as many different genres
and styles, the better writer you will become.

I’m trying to break a few boundaries in my
writing by incorporating a few unusual styles. I’ve had so many people now read
Limerence and be really shocked as, well, in their words, ‘they don’t normally
go for vampire books’ yet it’s done in such a way so that the vampire side of
it is really the background story. It’s been compared a lot to the old Bram
Stoker style- Dracula. Sexy, dark and suspenseful.

Which book have you brought along to tell us about today?

My current novel is Limerence. It is a sexy, supernatural
romance, with thriller and psychological horror elements to it.

Blurb:

One man's obsession could destroy them
all.

Despite her love for her fiancé, Mia
Lawrence finds herself inexplicably drawn to Mr Breckt- the mysterious new
owner of the Island. Her thoughts are constantly consumed with the handsome and
powerful stranger. However, there is much more to him than she realises,
something dangerous and supernatural.

Mr Breckt is used to getting what he wants, and now he
wants Mia, at any cost! With his obsession spiralling out of control, he knows
that time is running out. A war is coming. Blood will be shed, and lives will
be lost, but he will have to rid himself of his obsession of Mia before it’s
too late.Mia and Oliver must now fight the very evil that
threatens to come between them. If either of them fails, it will be more than
their love for each other that will be lost.

Ultimately, all three will have to make a sacrifice
that will change each other’s destiny forever… but will it be the right one?

Are you working on another book right now?

Yes I am ;0) I nearly have the outline drawn up
for the sequel to ‘Limerence II: Mia’. And I have also started writing a new book
called Odium. It’s a dystopian horror book. I’m going to be incorporating
something sexy in it too- of course! (Think Thelma & Louise but with… well
I don’t want to give too much away.) It’s had such a lot of interest on my
Facebook Page. I asked for volunteers to fill in a questionnaire for me in
return for a part in the book and the response was phenomenal.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Creating new worlds!

What do you like the least?

Editing! THE most boring job in the world.
Unfortunately, I’m really good at spotting errors for others, but not so much
for myself. Isn’t that always the way.

Would you like to see any of your books as movies?

Hell yeah ;0) I did a poll last year on my blog
for who was the readers celebrity cast for each of the characters, so we’re
pretty much down with the cast now, although it’s still up so anyone can still
vote, ha ha.

Can you name any actors you would like to see as the
lead characters in your book.

Well, personally I wanted, Tom Hardy for Mr
Breckt. Liam Hemsworth for Oliver. Evangeline Lilly for Mia. Emma Stone for
Rachael. Jonathan Rhys Meyers for Chris. I think that I got out voted on some of them
though, booooo.

What things do you like to do to relax?

I read, watch films, listen to music. I’m the
same with films and music as I am with reading and writing… anything goes. For
valentines I asked my husband to take me to the cinema to see the new Bruce
Willis Die Hard film, yet I would gladly sit through Les Misèrables too.

Do you have another job as well as writing?

Yes, unfortunately. Hopefully not for too much
longer now! Ha ha.

If you could have one super power in your existence, what
would it be?

To fly! Without question. I’ve always dreamt
about it since being a little girl. The stupid thing is… I’m scared of
heights. Ha!

If money were not an object, where would you most like to
live?

We have always talked about moving to Canada. I
have an old school friend who moved out there, and when I see her photos come
up on Facebook I’m green with envy. It looks so beautiful.

What kind of car would you have if money was no object?

Ford Mustang. That car is so hot.

What’s your favorite food?

Anything I can eat! Seriously, I love anything
from steak, to tapas, to sushi, pasta.

I’m a sweet addict too ;0)

Favorite color?

Blue.

Can you think of a song or piece of music that could be your
theme tune?

Nope, because I’m constantly
flitting from one mood to another, I’m clumsy as you like, sassy when I need to
be and love horror books. I think I would need a compilation. One of my
favorite songs is Iron Maiden- Run to the Hills though, but then again I love
punk and ska too. I just checked my iPhone for the last thing I was listening
too and it was Ben Howard. He’s got such an amazing voice, and he’s great to
write a love scene too. See, I’m far too confusing. Ha ha.

Just answer these questions as quickly as possible.

Chocolate or vanilla?-----

Chocolate. Wait, are we talking milkshake?
Chocolate btw, or ice cream? Wait that would be chocolate too. But if it’s
smells then I flipping love the smell of vanilla. It’s my favorite smell.

Dog or cat?----

Dog. I have a dog, an English springer spaniel
called Riley.

The film or the book?-----

Oooooh, that’s a tough one. I’m one of those
total weirdo’s who likes both

Jeans or dress?

Jeans most of the time, but there is something
nice about slipping into a pretty dress too.

Beach or Snow resort?

Beach! I’m far too clumsy for snow.

What do you love best about yourself?

Ermmmmm, I’ll get back to you…

What do you like least?

My self-doubt

Do you have anything to share with other authors that might
be a help?

As I said previously, read, read and then go read
some more. Don’t be afraid of reading outside of your normal genre, you have
nothing to lose, but everything to gain from it. It will open up new thought
processes and enable you to become a better writer.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

Yes… I love you all.

Can you share one of your favorite parts of one of the
books?

“That’s enough,” a
voice whispers to me, but I don’t want to give it up. It’s mine. They can’t
take it from me. Not now. Not ever.

“Baby, that’s enough
for now.”

I grasp onto the
person pouring this essence on me, my eyes are open but unfocused as I lean up
and try to plead with them. His scent
fills my nostrils; making me gag, but calming me all the same.

“Hush now, baby.
You’re okay. I’ve got you.” His voice is like a harp as it plucks the strings
in me. I feel soothed and calm and lie back down. His hand strokes across my
brow, wiping the tears from my face. The contact pulses through me. Sensations
buzz across my skin, like hundreds of feathers dancing across my flesh, and I
quiver under the gentle touch.

“Leave,” his words are
cool and clipped, directed at someone else in the room.

I know I should feel
fear, but the relief at not being in agony is too overwhelming. His voice is
too soothing, and his smell is suddenly too beautiful and intoxicating, that it
washes over me in waves of pleasure. My body flexes towards him and my skin
shivers at the anticipation of his contact. I feel him smile.

“Leave us now.” His
breathing is ragged next to my ear and he murmurs erotic promises to me.

My hands clamber for
his body, tearing the clothes from his back. I cannot see him. The world is a
blurry echo of its true nature, but I don’t care. Perhaps that’s what makes
this easier. That I can give in. That I can pretend. His nose skims past my ear
and down to my neck, and I convulse with the pleasure. Sensations pulse through
me wildly, searing up and down my body.

“Sir?”

My breasts are
tingling for his touch, my body arching and aching to be filled by him.

“Sir?”

“Damn it, what?” he
shouts and lifts his face from me. His hands still search out my soft crevices
and I sigh for release of the pleasure.

“Sir, you know that
you need to wait.”

A growl. Low and
malevolent ripples forth from him and he sits upwards, his hands leaving my
skin.

“It is for the best,
Sir. You could kill her.”

I reach for him, but
he pushes my hands away. I reach forth again and he grips me and pins me to the
bed with his weight, his mouth is on mine suddenly. Sucking and nibbling my
lips, his tongue dancing across mine. With every touch and caress, the flames
within me die down.

I claw at him. I need
him now. I need to feel his skin against mine, his body locked into me. Soft
moans escape me.

“Don’t, baby. I don’t
know how much more I can take before I lose control,” he says against my lips,
panting against me.

I whimper for him. I
need him to stop the pain.

“Soon.” The ground
underneath me shifts and he is gone. I cry at his absence, the pain- a dull
throb within me. A door somewhere opens and closes, and I am alone.

What kind of torture is this?

(This is a pivotal
scene in the book, and one I actually got carried away with. In an unedited
version they don’t stop. I had soooooo much fun with the scene. I had waited
nearly the entire book to write these two characters together. Shame I had to
edit the full version out.)

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